


Just to Say

by lou_angel



Series: Dial M for Merlin [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Being apart sucks, Can't keep their hands off each other, M/M, Reunion, You are not the postman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 02:06:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/669024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lou_angel/pseuds/lou_angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally intended as a short coda to my ‘Dial M for Merlin’ series but kind of grew. Takes place about three years after 'Please Hold' in which there is a reunion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just to Say

The phone rang.

Merlin forced an eye open and looked blearily at the red numbers on his alarm clock. 4.26am. He scrabbled to find his phone and saw Arthur’s name flashing on the display.

This had better be good.

“Hello?” he said in a voice thick with sleep.

“I just called,” Arthur sang drunkenly, “to say I love you.”

Merlin groaned, “Have you been drinking?”

“Maybe a little,” Arthur made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

“Arthur,” Merlin said with a surprising amount of patience, “I _do_ have to go to work in two and a half hours.”

“What time is it?” Arthur slurred.

“About half four.”

“Shit.” More soberly, “I didn’t realise. Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“S’ok.” Merlin mumbled sleepily. “I miss you.”

“Miss you too.”

“Love you.”

“You too. Night.”

~

Merlin often found it incredible to believe that he’d been Arthur’s boyfriend for over _three years_. Sometimes it was incredible because he couldn’t imagine a time when they weren’t together and sometimes because time had gone so fast.

Even though they’d studied different subjects at university they’d still lived in their parental homes – Arthur because it was easier and Merlin because he couldn’t afford to do anything else. It suited them, being so close to each other. And so they had remained throughout their student days until their final semester where Arthur’s business degree required him to move away for an assessed work placement and Merlin was left behind.

They hated it.

Arthur threw himself into his work with all the energy and dedication he always committed. He filled his evenings with seemingly endless corporate functions, wooing prospective clients and flattering colleagues. Merlin also submerged himself in studying and took on more and more shifts in the supermarket where he worked part time. 

They spoke often, but it was not enough. Usually one, or both of them, were tired and listless and their conversation consisted of a simple list of what they’d done that day, declarations of love and ill disguised yawns. It wasn’t that they felt any differently about each other, in fact they probably loved each other more, but it just wasn’t the same. 

The nights were often the loneliest. Even on the days when they had slept apart (instead of together in Arthur’s absurdly large bed) they’d have still spent time together and would speak to one another on the phone to say goodnight. Curling up in cold empty beds without hearing the other’s voice was not something either of them liked doing but with Merlin’s early morning commitments and Arthur’s frequent late working hours it happened more often than not.

Which was why, after the early morning call from Arthur, a busy shift at work and an afternoon poring over numerous geology books Merlin was frustrated and bored. Arthur wasn’t answering his phone, which meant he would be hammering out a deal somewhere as if he owned the company rather than being a temporary work experience student and Merlin was stuck in an empty house. 

He found himself knocking on the front door of the Pendragon House.

Morgana answered it “Merlin!” she smiled warmly, “you look like death.”

“Thanks,” Merlin said, “you look great.” She did. She always did.

“Thank you.”

“I should have rung, sorry.” Merlin said. 

“Don’t be silly.” They walked down the hall and into the kitchen, “tea?”

“Yes, please.” Merlin sat on a stool at the breakfast bar and tried not to think about the time he and Arthur had had hot and frantic sex on the chilled marble worktop shortly after their first argument. He blushed anyway.

Morgana handed him a cup of tea “I guess I don’t want to ask what you’re thinking about,” she said with a large grin and his blush deepened. He sipped his tea to hide his embarrassment.

“How’s your mum?” Morgana asked eventually, taking pity on him. 

Hunith had gone to visit Gaius, an old friend, and Merlin missed her terribly. “She’s having a great time.” Merlin said. Then, in a confessing spirit, “Will’s not around much either. He’s always with Sophia.”

Morgana rolled her eyes, “Is he still seeing her?”

“Well apparently she does this amazing thing with her tongue –” Merlin teased.

“I don’t want to know.” Morgana looked a bit green.

Merlin grinned. “Sorry.”

“You’re cruel.” Morgana’s smile belied her words.

They drank their tea in a companionable silence. “I’m glad you stopped by, Merlin. It’s been so dull lately. Gwen’s still with her father.” 

“How is he?” Merlin murmured guiltily as he remembered that Gwen’s father had been admitted to hospital and was gravely ill.

“No better I’m afraid.” Morgana said sadly. Then, trying to lighten the mood, “and Lance has buggered off to ‘find himself’ or whatever. Some of Arthur’s old rugby mates drop round sometimes but they’re…” she shuddered and Merlin nodded understandingly. “Want to watch Love Actually? Arthur’s not here to grumble through it and pretend he hates it.”

Merlin considered the idea of spending time with Morgana who, despite knowing her for years, he felt he didn’t really _know_ her at all and he still found a little bit scary sometimes. Then he thought about going back to his mother’s cold and empty house. “I’d love to.”

“Great. Can you go load it up? I’ll make popcorn.”

Merlin settled onto the large black leather couch in the games room and waited for the film to load. He could hear Morgana clattering about in the kitchen humming. He sank into the cushions and tried not to think about the times he’d had sex with Arthur on the couch. Quite a few times, actually. Once when Uther had been at home in his office across the hallway and Arthur had put his hand over Merlin’s mouth to stifle his rather loud moans. Merlin felt the blush creeping up his neck.

“I’m not going to ask.” Morgana said seeing his red face as she flung herself down next to him and wedged the large bowl of popcorn between them. “Pass the remote.”

Merlin relinquished it without argument.

~

Over the next two weeks Merlin found himself at Pendragon House spending time with Morgana whenever he wasn’t busy. He felt like kicking himself for not calling her earlier. It was clear that she missed her adopted brother, even if they did bicker all the time, and that she was just as lonely as Merlin was.

They had loud Guitar Hero battles and giggly games of pool. They curled up on the couch and watched the films they loved but that Arthur always complained loudly through (although he secretly loved them too). 

Most of the time Merlin didn’t even bother going back to his empty home. His mother was still away and Will would often ring to say he was going to spend the night at Sophia’s. Or worse, he was going to take Sophia back to the house which made Merlin grimace because he knew that they’d barely make it past the kitchen table before they started tearing off each other’s clothes and there was no way he needed to see that. Morgana would give him a sympathetic look and Merlin would crash in Arthur’s bedroom for the night.

Sometimes they’d stay up late into the night chattering about everything and nothing at the same time. Merlin would fish about in the recesses of his mind for something fun or witty or interesting to say to divert Morgana from the increasingly bleak calls she received from Gwen. Morgana would prattle on about anything in such an entertaining way that Merlin would always be interested. And occasionally they’d fall asleep and wake up in a tangle of limbs that would have been embarrassing or compromising if both of them didn’t have their hearts elsewhere.

One Thursday morning they’d woken to find a garbled answer phone message from Arthur saying that he was coming back for good that Sunday. Merlin booked the weekend and the whole of the following week off work and stormed through the rest of his assignment so he could be spend as much time with Arthur as possible. Morgana, on the other hand, began tracking down some old friends and was making lots of plans, some of which sounded distinctly unlike the sort of thing she would usually do and Merlin felt pangs of guilty sympathy for his newest friend.

He didn’t even bother going home after that call.

~

“Merlin, I’ve brought you some tea.”

Merlin fought his way out of the numerous red sheets on Arthur’s bed he’d burrowed under during the night and emerged, bleary eyed and wild haired to gaze, disoriented, at Morgana.

“Tea.” She said slowly. “Drink. Morning.”

“What time is it?” Merlin sat up and took the mug into his hands.

“About ten. You looked like you needed a lie in. I somehow doubt you’ll be getting much sleep when Arthur’s back.” Morgana laughed as Merlin spluttered into his tea. “Now, finish your tea, get dressed and come down for some brunch. I’ll make something.”

It was Saturday morning. As Merlin tumbled out of the bed and scrabbled around trying to find clothes he realised he probably should have made a trip home or, at least, done some laundry. He managed to find clean underwear, a fairly clean pair of jeans and gave up altogether on trying to find a top he hadn’t spilt something down and raided Arthur’s wardrobe instead.

He found Morgana in the kitchen tossing pancakes.

“Is that Arthur’s shirt?” she asked eyeing him critically.

“Yeah.”

“Looks good. Red suits you.” Merlin felt himself flushing again. Morgana rolled her eyes, “red clothes, not red face.” She pushed a plate of pancakes towards him. He drizzled chocolate sauce over them and attacked them hungrily.

“They were lovely.” He said eventually, licking chocolate sauce off his lips. 

Morgana smiled indulgently at him. “You’ve been a good friend to me Merlin. So –” Merlin tried not to be alarmed at Morgana’s unusual demonstrativeness, “So I’ll give you one last chance today to beat me at Guitar Hero.”

“What are you talking about?” Merlin retorted, grinning, “I’ve beaten you plenty of times.” 

“Oh really?” Morgana said archly, but her eyes twinkled, “prove it.”

~

“Ok, so you’re not that bad.” Morgana admitted.

“Not _that_ bad?” Merlin repeated, “ _not that bad_? No wonder you and Arthur bicker all the time. Neither of you want to admit defeat.”

Morgana glared, “Ok fine. You’re good. Happy?”

“Let’s see…four all so far. One last round. Winner takes all.”

“Deal.” Morgana said immediately.

There was a clattering at the front door.

“That must be the postman. I’ll be back in a second.” Morgana left the games room and went towards the front door. To her astonishment it was not the postman on the doorstep.

It was Arthur, suitcases in hand, unsuccessfully trying to jab his keys into the lock.

“Why are you here?” she said before she could stop herself, “you’re not supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

“I know,” Arthur grinned and dragged his suitcases inside. “I thought I’d surprise you. Look, I promise I’ll unpack later but I’ve been travelling all night. I just want to grab a shower and go over to Merlin’s.”

“Morgana!” Merlin called from the games room, “get back here so I can whoop your – ” he poked his head out into the hallway and saw Arthur.

Arthur looked back.

For a moment nobody moved.

“Arthur?” Merlin asked, not quite believing his own eyes but not certain he was hallucinating either. It certainly looked like Arthur and the vision was looking at him like Arthur often did, with an odd mix of pleasure and pride and possessiveness and unadulterated desire that made Merlin go weak at the knees. And Morgana was grinning from ear to ear. “Arthur!”

He was running. Merlin knew it was corny, he could almost hear cheesy music swelling in the background. But he hurtled down the hall and Arthur dropped the bag he was clutching and Merlin threw himself on Arthur, wrapping arms about his neck and legs about his waist and kissed him. 

Neither of them paid much attention as Morgana grabbed her set of keys from the table in the hallway and shot out of the door murmuring “I’ll leave you to it then.”

Merlin thrust his tongue into Arthur’s mouth tasting strawberry and mint and something that was uniquely, undeniably Arthur. Then he sucked Arthur’s bottom lip between his own and nibbled and licked until Arthur groaned.

Arthur staggered forward a few steps and dropped Merlin onto the hall table. “God, you’re heavier than you look,” he muttered.

“Shut up,” Merlin said and resumed his exploration of Arthur’s mouth, running his hands across the sinew and muscles of Arthur’s back with appreciative murmurs as he reacquainted himself with the familiar body he loved so much. 

“Is that my shirt?” Arthur asked as they parted for air.

“Yes.”

“It looks good. Now take it off.”

Merlin didn’t need telling twice. He fumbled at the buttons until the shirt was loose enough for him to drag it over his head and drop it on the floor. Arthur pulled off his t-shirt and then reached, with an odd sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a gasp, to run warm hands over Merlin’s pale skin.

Merlin leant back against the wall, incapable of anything else as Arthur’s lips followed his fingers, ghosting across Merlin’s skin. He ruffled his fingers through Arthur’s hair and mewled approvingly. Then Arthur was moving his hand lower, to brush across the front of Merlin’s straining jeans, unzipping them and sliding a hand beneath Merlin’s boxers to stroke his erection. Merlin groaned and pulled Arthur up for another kiss, arching his body into his touch, and then broke off with the realisation that this would all be over far too quickly if Arthur didn’t stop.

“Arthur, I don’t think I can…” Merlin came with a strangled moan, spilling into Arthur’s hand, “Oh fuck, shit, bollocks, arse, _nooo_!” he slumped forward and buried his face into Arthur’s neck. Arthur was surprised to hear Merlin swear so much. He withdrew his hand and wiped it indifferently on his jeans. He slowly caressed Merlin’s back and pressed his lips into his boyfriends’ dark hair.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin mumbled, “I didn’t…I couldn’t…I wanted…” he hated how tongue tied and embarrassed he was.

“Merlin,” Arthur said, “Look at me.” He lifted Merlin’s head off his shoulder as he spoke.

“I’ve imagined this moment so much,” Merlin said, “I wanted…you didn’t…”

“Merlin,” Arthur said reassuringly, “do you have any idea how unbelievably gorgeous you look right now?”

Merlin said something that sounded like “Ahuminawha?”

“I’m biased, of course.” Arthur said, “considering that I am responsible for you looking like this,” he waved his hand to indicate Merlin’s general dishevelled and sated state. “Do you know what it does to me?” he growled into Merlin’s ear, “Knowing how much you want me?”

“Oh really?” Merlin said coyly then shivered with pleasure as Arthur leant in and nibbled his ear. 

“Let’s go upstairs.”

~

They stripped off the remainder of their clothing before Arthur’s bedroom door had finished closing behind them and fell onto the rumpled, unmade bed with undignified grunts, kissing with the same fervour they’d exhibited earlier. 

Merlin’s hands were roaming wildly, stroking and caressing, determined to give Arthur the same pleasure he’d had. It seemed that Arthur had other ideas, pinning Merlin’s hands by his side and tracing patterns with his lips and then his tongue on Merlin’s stomach.

“Please, Arthur,” Merlin gasped, arching towards Arthur’s teasing tongue “Want to touch you.”

Arthur released Merlin’s hands and moved his mouth to suck first one of Merlin’s nipples and then the other. Merlin’s fingers curled into Arthur’s back, leaving crescent shaped indentations and then brushed across Arthur’s jaw and tugged his blond hair as Arthur swooped up to crush his lips against Merlin’s again.

Then Arthur trailed butterfly kisses down Merlin’s chest and stomach in an indiscriminate pattern, following the trail of dark hair that lead to his crotch, skirting Merlin’s hardening cock and instead teasing at the soft, sensitive skin on the inside of his right thigh. Merlin shifted to allow Arthur to lie more comfortably between his thighs, placing delicate kisses on the right, and then the left one until Merlin whimpered with need. Then Arthur’s tongue and fingers encouraged Merlin to full hardness, making him lift his hips off the bed.

Arthur propped Merlin’s hips up with a pillow and reached blindly for one of the pots he always kept on his bedside table. 

“Arthur!” Merlin cried folding a leg around Arthur’s waist as he felt a slick finger slide inside him. Then Arthur slipped in another finger, scissoring and flexing them and brushing against that spot inside Merlin that made him see stars so he barely noticed when Arthur slid in a third finger. “Oh god!” He groaned, “Now, Arthur, please!” and he shuddered in anticipation as Arthur withdrew his fingers, grasped Merlin’s thigh in a burning grip and positioned himself ready to bury his throbbing cock deep inside Merlin. 

Arthur entered Merlin slowly, savouring how hot and tight Merlin felt around him, relishing the moans that fell from Merlin’s swollen lips. He began to move with languorous, long thrusts, prolonging the delicious feel and the sight of Merlin lost in overwhelming sensations beneath him. He watched Merlin’s chest rising and falling in heavy pants and put one hand onto the mattress to support himself as he changed the angle of his thrusts.

“Nyargh,” Merlin cried as Arthur began to hit that spot inside him regularly, “god…Arthur…more…”

Arthur began to thrust deeper, faster and harder and Merlin was lifting his hips and trying to match him, hands frenziedly scrabbling for purchase at the tangled bedclothes. If it weren’t for the way Merlin was noisily expressing his enjoyment, Arthur would have been convinced his fierce thrusts must hurt. They were slowly inching their way across the sheets. Arthur was setting a pace so fast and furious that he knew he’d never be able to sustain it and he found himself forgetting to breath.

Then Merlin’s head connected with the headboard, “Ow!” He said automatically, then “Ooooh!” as Arthur thrust into him again and then “Arthur!” as he dropped his head back and came. At that moment, Arthur thought Merlin had never looked more beautiful and that thought, in combination with Merlin’s muscles tightening about Arthur’s aching cock, sent him over the edge into a shuddering release so intense he thought he was going to black out and so forceful he screamed Merlin’s name before slackening his hold and collapsing heavily on top of Merlin’s sagging body.

~

When Merlin woke up the sun was low in the sky and he wondered what he was still doing in bed so late in the afternoon. Then a strong arm slid over his side and he remembered with delight that Arthur was back and rolled over to face him.

Arthur smiled lazily and contently across the pillow at him. “I was hoping you’d wake up soon.”

Merlin smiled and kissed him. “I’ve missed this.” They snuggled together buried in the covers for several minutes.

“I’ve been thinking,” Arthur announced.

“Uh-oh!” Merlin teased. His grin faded when he realised that Arthur looked very serious. “What is it?”

“I’ve missed you so much,” Arthur said brushing his fingers along Merlin’s arm in an unconscious soothing gesture, “and it’s made me realise that this – this isn’t enough.”

“Not enough?” echoed Merlin in a whisper he was surprised Arthur could hear over the panicked thudding of his heart.

“God, Merlin,” Arthur said, “you were the first person – hell, the first thing I thought of when I woke up and the last thing before I fell asleep and you were pretty much in my head all the time in between and then I thought…I realised that I didn’t want you to live in my head all the time.”

“What – what are you saying Arthur?”

“I’m saying that I want it to _be_ you I wake up with all the time. Not just thoughts of you. I want us to live together.”

Merlin was mouthing words but no sound emerged.

“Move in with me here until we can get a place of our own.” Arthur continued earnestly, “When I think about my life, I can’t see a future without you in it Merlin and I don’t want to wait.”

Merlin still couldn’t find words, so he answered by giving Arthur an almost overpowering kiss.

“Is that a yes?” Arthur asked.

Merlin laughed. “Yes, it’s a yes.” And kissed him again.


End file.
